Check out my new article for the Pink Line Project on what’s new at DC Shorts. This is an amazing film festival that I’ve been involved with for several years. 2011 features more films (145 from 23 countries) plus bigger parties and more free sessions on filmmaking. The DC Shorts Film Festival runs from September 8-18.
Tag: dc
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Friday Photo: The Unsinkable Mary Murphy
It was one of the hottest days of the year, at the end of a week of 100+ temperatures in Washington, DC. Cooped up by the oppressive heat, I had gotten a little stir crazy, so decided to venture out to check out Dance Day DC, where my friend and neighbor Cecile was volunteering
It was held at the Sylvan Theater, a little bowl next to the Washington Monument, with a steamy southern exposure. Things were pretty staid until the arrival of Mary Murphy, the judge from So You Think You Can Dance.
The audience knew as soon as she took the mic – I literally recoiled away from the speakers as her voice blasted out. She’s the loudest person I’ve ever met and probably didn’t even need a microphone.
Despite the crushing heat, she led the audience in a complex series of dances, part of a flashmob. This went on for a good half hour, dance after dance. I can’t imagine how hot it must’ve been on stage. I was off to the side, in the shade, doing nothing but taking pictures and I could barely stand it.
Murphy even taunted the sun. “I heard it was hot but, c’mon, is that the best you can do?!!”
It’s a good thing that she’s a celebrity. Otherwise, people might think she was insane.
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"The Happiest Man in Washington" Published in eFiction Magazine
My short story, “The Happiest Man in Washington” has been published in eFiction Magazine. You can read it below. If you roll over the pages, you’ll see backward and forward arrows. Click on the page and it will become a full-screen view.
This story was inspired by a homeless man I used to see daily at 17th and Rhode Island in DC. He was a neighborhood fixture, a happy face greeting commuters every morning. I wondered how he got there and if he ever thought about leaving the streets.
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Like this? Read more of my short fiction and my novel, Murder in Ocean Hall.
(For you WordPress geeks, eFiction is a magazine that was created using Issuu. You can embed and customize the viewer. I used the Issuu “customize and embed” tool to get the code to paste into my site. I made the embedded viewer one page across (instead of two) and to start on p.67, where my story is, rather than at the beginning of the magazine. The WP Issuu plugin was also necessary to make all this work. It’s not difficult.)
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Three Upcoming Short Stories
Over the past few days, I’ve learned that three different short stories of mine will appear in three different online literary journals. Yea!
All of these stories are set in DC, at least in part, and feature the “beyond the monuments” knowledge of the city that I used in Murder in Ocean Hall. The three stories are all a little different:
The Really Real World – this is a dark and funny satire about the dangerous pursuit of fame. And, yes, the MTV series is involved.
The Happiest Man in Washington – I’m pretty much a realist, when it comes to fiction, but this is my attempt to write a parable like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (an essential read for every artist).
City of the Dead – inspired by a friend’s trip to Egypt, this is a story about mortality and the limits of American power.
Look for all three of these short stories soon! Follow me on @joeflood and I’ll tweet when and where they’re published, as well as update this blog.
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New Article: Fringe Festival Survival Guide
I wrote a short article for the Pink Line Project (a local arts blog) on survival tips for the Capital Fringe Festival. In short: dress comfortably, bring water, expect nudity.
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Friday Photo: Capital Fringe Festival
I can’t believe it’s been a year since the last Fringe Festival. Walking up to Fort Fringe on New York Avenue, everything looked exactly the same – the big white tent, picnic tables, a DJ playing tunes, performers hyping their shows. Only the bar selection had changed (they now have prosecco on tap).
The Capital Fringe Festival runs from July 7-24. It’s an opportunity to see crazy performances in intimate spaces, some of which include nudity and/or puppets. The bar aka Fort Fringe offers a front-row seat to this bohemian spectacle.
I was an official photographer for last year’s festival – here are my favorite pics to give you a sense of what you’re in for. And here are the shows that won in 2010 – many of these performers have new shows for this year.
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The National Museum of Women in the Arts – Not Just for Women
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is one of those museums that even long-time Washingtonians aren’t aware of. It’s not on the Mall, it charges admission and with only a small sign marking its location on New York Avenue, it’s easy to overlook.
I had never been inside until invited by Michelle Cragle, the Communications Director at the museum. A former Masonic temple, NMWA is an architectural wonder. And it has some fascinating artistic treasures of interest to any gender. You don’t need to be a woman to visit the museum, as I wrote in a guest post for NMWA.
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New Article: Tips from Local Photographers
On Monday night, I attended a panel discussion by local photographers at vitaminwater uncapped live, a popup arts/dance/music party in DC.
Inspired by the stories of how these photogs got started, I wrote an article for the Pink Line Project on the talk. The photographers on the panel, who work for sites such as Brightest Young Things, DCist, Washingtonian and the Washington Post, all transitioned from amateurs to professionals. They did this not through traditional education but by following their passions. What started out as a hobby for them – taking pictures of things they loved – eventually became careers.
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Friday Photo: Let's Bike
Washington has done a wonderful job in adding bike lanes throughout the city. These bike-only thoroughfares, like this lane on 15th St NW, have made cycling easier and safer for riders. While I took this picture on Bike to Work Day, this could be any day in DC.
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Friday Photo: The View from 5F
Flying, especially on USAIR, is hellish. Sometimes, however, you get lucky and end up in seat 5F when your flight returns to DCA via the winding western route along the Potomac. It’s like a roller-coaster ride as you turn and bank along the river in the approach to the airport. The plane made a banking right turn, allowing me to capture this shot of Rosslyn from above. I shot this with an iPhone 4 on the HDR setting, then used the “punch” preset in Adobe Lightroom to make it more contrasty.